The Morning Standard - April 16, 2025

In this issue

April 16, 2025

Hospital Must Immediately Lose License If Newborn Is Trafficked, Says SC

The Supreme Court on Tuesday laid down strict guidelines for all states to prevent child trafficking and the offences arising out of it, warning that any laxity in implementing them could be treated as contempt of court.

1 min

Govt to open 70 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs by May-end

The Delhi government is set to open 70 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAY) across the capital by the end of next month as part of its 100-day action plan, which will conclude in May.

1 min

Vadra Quizzed For 8 Hours In Money Laundering Case

The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday questioned businessman Robert Vadra, the husband of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, for over eight hours in connection with its probe into money laundering linked to a Gurugram land deal.

1 min

ED Chargesheets Sonia, Rahul in National Herald Case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet against Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in a Delhi court in the National Herald money laundering case.

1 min

Retail inflation at 67-mth low

• DECLINES TO LOWER-THAN-EXPECTED 3.34% DUE TO FOOD PRICE CORRECTION • RAISES HOPES OF FURTHER REPO RATE CUT BY 50 BPS IN THIS CALENDAR YEAR

1 min

Power subsidy to continue in city, EV policy gets extension

THE Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday approved the continuation of the power subsidy scheme for the financial year 2025-26.

1 min

TN forms high-level panel to study Centre-state relations, protect rights

FIFTY-SIX years after the then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi constituted the P V Rajamannar Committee in 1969—the first such panel in India's history formed to study centre-state relations—his son and current CM M K Stalin on Tuesday announced the formation of a high-level committee to study the constitutional and legal provisions that impact the centre-state relations.

1 min

AAP Claims Govt Halted New EWS Certificate Issuance, BJP Hits Back

The controversy surrounding the issuance of Economically Weaker Section (EWS) certificates in Delhi escalated on Tuesday with sharp exchanges between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

1 min

ASI Arrested for Accepting Bribe from Retired Cop

AN assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of Delhi Police was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹2 lakh.

1 min

DUSU chief smears cow dung on college walls

DELHI University Students' Union (DUSU) president Ronak Khatri smeared cow dung on the walls of the Principal's office at Lakshmibai College on Tuesday.

1 min

Man, 43, jumps furlough, held after months

DELHI Police has re-arrested a death row convict, who beheaded his father in a case of human sacrifice and later jumped furlough, from Chelmsford Road near the New Delhi Railway Station, officials said on Tuesday.

1 min

20-Year-Old Woman Shot Dead in GTB Enclave Area

A 20-year-old woman was shot dead in Delhi's GTB Enclave area on Monday.

1 min

DU's Veer Savarkar College reserves Seats for Najafgarh

Applicants from land donor village and girls to get 1 seat per course

1 min

Zero tolerance for schools hiking fees

CHIEF Minister Rekha Gupta announced on Tuesday that her government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards arbitrary fee hikes in schools and the harassment of parents and students.

1 min

Over 7k students to vote in Apr 25 JNUSU election, 43% are women

AFTER a prolonged delay caused by administrative and legal hurdles, the election process for the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) finally commenced on Tuesday, with various organizations filing their nominations.

1 min

Why air monitors in green zones?

THE Delhi government's latest move to install six new ambient air quality monitoring stations has drawn criticism from environmental activists, who allege that the strategic placement of these stations in green, low-density areas amounts to \"greenwashing\" the capital's pollution data.

1 min

City prisons overcrowded, 91% inmates await trials: Report

THE India Justice Report 2025, released on Tuesday, presents a detailed picture of Delhi's judicial system.

2 mins

ED Chargesheet: Cong Announces Nationwide Stir

CONDEMNING the Enforcement Directorate's (ED's) chargesheet against its leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case, the Congress has announced a nationwide protest on Wednesday in front of offices of the agency and Central Government across states.

1 min

31-Year-Old Man Arrested in Fake Investment Scam

A 31-year-old man from Rajasthan has been arrested for allegedly defrauding a couple by promising a 28% monthly return on their investment, police said on Tuesday.

1 min

Plea in HC seeks revival of contempt case over disbanding of law officers

One Law officer serves all 16 jails in capital

2 mins

Technical failure in baggage handling briefly disrupts T1's reopening

THE reopening of Terminal 1 of the Delhi Airport on Tuesday was marked by a temporary disruption in the conveyor belt of the baggage section, causing a delay in check-in by passengers.

1 min

PWD begins ₹2.23 crore road revamp work near BJP's new office in capital

AS the Delhi BJP prepares to shift into its upcoming multi-storey state office on Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Marg, the Public Works Department has launched a major road improvement and beautification drive in the surrounding area, officials said on Tuesday.

1 min

Bansuri Swaraj gets four weeks to respond in Jain defamation case

A Delhi court on Tuesday granted BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj four weeks' time to respond to a revision petition filed by AAP leader and former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain.

1 min

ED to get SFIO chargesheet copy in CMRL pay-off

The Ernakulam Additional Sessions Court has granted permission to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to obtain a copy of the chargesheet filed by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) in the high-profile CMRL pay-off case.

1 min

MUDA: Lokayukta told to conduct further probe

THE special court for trial of criminal cases against sitting and former MPs/MLAs on Tuesday kept the decision pending, for now, on accepting or rejecting the 'B' report (closure report) by the Lokayukta police giving a clean chit to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his family members in the MUDA case.

1 min

Guv approval obtained for prosecution of ex-AIADMK minister, TN tells top court

THE Tamil Nadu government has told the Supreme Court that Governor R N Ravi has accorded sanction to prosecute former AIADMK minister K T Rajenthra Bhalaji in an alleged cash-for-jobs scam.

1 min

Lives & deaths trapped amid apathy, 'due process'

THEY die as they lived: nameless. In shelters across the erstwhile Nalgonda district, unclaimed bodies testify to a system failing its most vulnerable: persons with intellectual disabilities or severe mental health conditions.

2 mins

Govt to Ensure Justice for Munambam

Union minister Rijiju attacks LDF, UDF for ignoring plight of residents due to vote bank politics

2 mins

Andhra Cabinet Allots Vizag Land to TCS for Just 99 Paisa

The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday, allotted 21.16 acres of land in Visakhapatnam to Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) at a symbolic lease price of just 99 paisa.

1 min

Odisha political turf on fire after Biju statue set ablaze, CM assures action

Entangled in past controversy

1 min

Super Mario of Searing Letters

WHY do we tell stories? Because narratives gift us with powers to survive the uncertain and momentary tales we live.

3 mins

STANDING UP TO THE BULLY ON THE PLAYGROUND

Today's China is not yesterday's Soviet Union. Nor is Trump's America the sole superpower. Anyone trying to push back the clock of history will get hurt

4 mins

Tejashwi Says CM Face To Be Decided By Grand Alliance

The top leadership of the RJD and the Congress held formal talks in Delhi on Tuesday on jointly fighting the forthcoming Bihar Assembly elections.

1 min

Digital use raises no dementia risks, says study

Technology A Boon, Not Bane

1 min

CBI's Operation Chakra: 4 digital arrest kingpins held after raids in 12 locations

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday said that it has arrested four kingpins in 'digital arrests' case, leading to defrauding of money to the tune of ₹7.67 crores.

1 min

SC Raps HC Judge's 'Invited Trouble' Remark in Rape Case

Taking exception to an Allahabad High Court judge's recent remarks in a rape case that the rape survivor herself \"invited trouble,\" the Supreme Court on Tuesday cautioned judges against making such inappropriate observations against the complainant.

1 min

Good news for farm as IMD predicts above-normal rain this monsoon

Neutral El Niño a favorable condition; Tamil Nadu, NE may get below-average precipitation

2 mins

4000-yr-old chariot to be displayed at National Museum's Harappan gallery

THE National Museum in the national capital will have two added attractions — bronze-age solid-disk wheel carts (chariot) discovered from the Sinauli archaeological site in Uttar Pradesh and a permanent exhibition of epigraphs — on display to enthrall the heritage enthusiasts.

1 min

15 Judges Per Mn Against Law Panel's Recommendation Of 50, Says Report

INDIA has only 15 judges per million population, significantly below the Law Commission's recommendation of 50.

2 mins

Yogi questions Mamata's silence in Bengal clashes

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday accused his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee of encouraging communal unrest in her state under the \"guise of secularism\", questioning her silence in the ongoing tensions over the Waqf amendment.

1 min

South Bengal Town on Edge After Waqf Violence

A day after violence hit Bhangar in South Bengal, which erupted during protests demanding the withdrawal of the Waqf Amendment Act, Kolkata Police on Tuesday arrested nine people in the incident.

1 min

Assamese Made Compulsory for All Official Work

The Assam government has made the Assamese language compulsory for all official work in the state, except for five districts under the Bodoland Territorial Region and three districts in the Barak Valley.

1 min

Maha cabinet nod to ₹5 lakh relief in custodial deaths

AFTER recommendations by human rights groups, the Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday decided to extend financial compensation to the family members of custodial death victims.

1 min

5 girls from Simdega named in national hockey team

IN a first, five players hailing from Jharkhand's Simdega district, including Captain Salima Tete, have made it to the Indian Women's Hockey team.

1 min

NC under fire as discussion denied

THE ruling National Conference in Muslim-majority J&K has come under fire from allies and opposition alike after the Speaker refused to allow discussion on the Waqf (Amendment) Act in the recently concluded budget session of the Assembly, with the Abdullahs backing the decision.

1 min

ED Raids Premises of Raj Cong Leader, AAP MLA in ₹48K Cr Real Estate Scam

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday raided the premises of Rajasthan Congress leader and former minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas and Punjab AAP MLA Kulwant Singh as part of a probe into ₹48,000-crore Pearl Agrotech Corporation Limited (PACL) scam, a real estate investment fraud.

1 min

Rahul Launches Gujarat Party Reboot

No caste, no clutter: Congress signals ground-level overhaul for swift results in 45-day drill

2 mins

Weinstein's Retrial for Sex Crimes Begins

DISGRACED Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein's retrial on rape and sex assault charges began Tuesday, forcing survivors who helped fire up the \"#MeToo\" movement to prepare to testify against him once more.

1 min

IED blast kills 3 policemen, injures 18 in Balochistan

THREE policemen were killed and 18 others injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) hit a constabulary vehicle in the restive Balochistan province of Pakistan on Tuesday.

1 min

Second US carrier arrives in Mideast ahead of nuke talks

A second US aircraft carrier is operating in Mideast waters ahead of the next round of talks between Iran and the United States over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme.

1 min

Nearly 60,000 Afghans deported from Pak in two weeks: IOM

NEARLY 60,000 Afghans have been forced to leave Pakistan since the start of April, the International Organisation for Migration said Tuesday, after Islamabad ramped up a campaign to deport migrants to Afghanistan.

1 min

$2.2 billion Harvard fund freeze after defying Don

ELITE US university Harvard was hit with a $2.2 billion federal funding freeze on Monday after rejecting a list of sweeping demands that the White House said was intended to crack down on campus anti-Semitism.

1 min

Xi Jinping Begins His Malaysia Visit in Shadow of Trump Tariffs

CHINESE President Xi Jinping arrived in Malaysia on Tuesday for a highly anticipated state visit that comes as Beijing fights an escalating trade war with the United States.

1 min

Strike outside Gaza hospital kills medic, injures many

An Israeli airstrike hit the northern gate of the Kuwaiti Field Hospital in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, killing a medic and wounding nine other people—all patients and medics—according to a spokesman for the hospital in the Muwasi area, where hundreds of thousands have sought shelter in sprawling tent camps.

1 min

Khamenei says Iran-US talks going well but warns it may prove fruitless

Tehran and Washington to meet again in Muscat on Saturday, a week after top-level talks

1 min

JSW Steel to Invest ₹60k Cr in Green Steel

JSW Steel will invest ₹50,000-60,000 crore to build a 10 million tonne per annum green steel plant over the next three to four years.

1 min

NPCI meets bank officials, app providers

The National Payments Corporation (NPCI), which runs the unified payments interface, has met bank officials and third-party application providers (TPAPs) on the issue of recent repeated outages of the payment services.

1 min

Exports Hit Record $820 Billion Amid Global Challenges in FY25

DEFYING global headwinds and World Trade Organization's bleak projections, India's exports surged to a record $820.93 billion in FY25, marking a 5.5% increase over the previous year's $778.13 billion, the Ministry of Commerce announced on Monday.

1 min

OALP: ONGC Wins 11 Blocks, OIL 9, Cairn 7

OIL and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and its partners have won the most number of blocks (15) in the ninth round of the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP).

1 min

Sebi bars Gensol Engineering and promoters from markets, halts stock split

LAUNCHING a crackdown on Gensol Engineering Ltd (GEL), India's capital market regulator -- the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) -- has barred the renewable energy firm and two of its promoters - Anmol Singh Jaggi and Puneet Singh Jaggi - from the securities markets till further orders in a fund diversion and governance lapses case.

1 min

Trump Hints at Relief for Automakers

THE country's automotive industry, especially the component manufacturers, may breathe a sigh of relief as US President Donald Trump on Monday suggested that he might temporarily exempt the auto industry from tariffs he previously imposed on the sector, to give carmakers time to adjust their supply chains.

1 min

Tariff pause: Govt to finish BTA talks before deadline

Virtual talks will begin this week, physical rounds likely in first week of May

1 min

Derivatives losses: PwC identifies ₹1,979 crore hit to IndusInd Bank

INDUSIND BANK disclosed on Tuesday that an external audit by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has identified a ₹1,979 crore financial impact due to irregularities in its derivatives portfolio, marking a significant blow to the private lender's risk management credibility.

1 min

Benchmarks rise over 2% as trade tensions ease

DOMESTIC equity markets extended their rally for the second straight session on Tuesday, buoyed by easing global trade tensions.

1 min

Boucher backs Rohit to fix batting woes

TO get Rohit Sharma back in form, former Mumbai Indians head coach Mark Boucher felt that it would depend on the former MI captain himself, how he challenges himself in phases of the match and to look back on his previous bad patches in his decorated career.

1 min

Capitals Test For RR

Two teams coming off losses but Delhi are in much better shape when compared to Rajasthan. A look at their Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter on Wednesday...

1 min

NOOR AHMAD DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER

Noor's coach in Afghanistan opens up about how the wrist-spinner emerged to become a star for Chennai

3 mins

Chahal sizzles as Punjab secure unlikely victory

YUZVENDRA Chahal and the other Punjab Kings bowlers engineered a thrilling heist as they defended 111 against the holders, Kolkata Knight Riders, at a raucous Mullanpur on Tuesday night.

1 min

Big names put up subdued show; Vithya bags gold

AFTER a lukewarm response from the first three iterations of the Indian Open Athletics meeting, this edition, conducted by the Tamil Nadu Athletics Association (TNAA) saw a sizeable turnout of more than 400 athletes, organisers stated.

2 mins

BFI officials publicly hit out at president Singh

The off-the-ring tussle in Indian boxing is here to stay.

1 min

MAIDEN MUSINGS

A popular face on Instagram known for her humorous content, actor Shreya Gupto, a Bollywood outsider, on her maiden venture Sikandar, and what it felt like acting alongside Salman Khan

2 mins

New Harry Potter series cast out

BO has announced the cast for its upcoming series based on the Harry Potter novels by JK Rowling.

1 min

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